A Different Betrothed
by Kitsune6
Summary: RobxRav. An unusual messenger shows up one night with an usual package for Raven, whose solitude is about to be interrupted.
1. Chapter 1

"A Different Betrothed" by Kitsune. (Kitsune6 on I don't own Teen Titans.

A/N: A Teen Titans fanfic, Robin x Raven, maybe BB x SF, rated soft R for adult situations and slight vampirism. This is a redo of "Betrothed" with a _completely_ different angle and girl. Okay, it's not much like that episode at all, but that's such a cool title.

It was Saturday night. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg and Beast Boy were just sitting down to dinner. Raven walked in and poured herself a cup full of herbal tea. Beast Boy saw her and called to her, "Hey Rae, come and eat. We're having your favorite, tofurkey."

Raven gave him a withering glare. "Don't call me Rae. You don't know what my favorite food is. And have you ever considered that there is a very good reason why they make tofu that tastes like meat but not meat that tastes like tofu? I'm going to my room." With that she floated off.

"Man, she creeps me out, and I swear she's anorexic. And what _is_ her favorite food?" Beast Boy paused, thinking very hard. Very, very hard. "Hey, have any of you guys seen her eat? I mean eat _anything at all_ in the last two years?" The other three shook their heads. Beast Boy came to the obvious conclusion. "Aaaah! Raven's an evil robot that's come to destroy us all! What are we going to do?"

Raven floated back in, refilled her cup of tea, and smacked Beast Boy on the head, saying "Keep your idiocy to a dull roar." She then turned and floated out again.

Beast Boy looked worried. "Oh my God, do you think it heard me?"

Cyborg looked up from his actually meat ham and said "Shut up and eat your food."

"Friend Robin, is Friend Raven truly an evil robot?" came the inevitable.

Robin sighed. He really didn't feel like dealing with this. "No Star, Beast Boy is just being reta-, umm he's just... never mind him and eat your food." _What did I ever see in her? I'd be better of with Kitten, at least she has a body **and** half a brain Too bad there aren't any intelligent girls, like Raven, who are actually available._

They finished eating and Starfire went to play with Silky. The boys headed to the main room to read or rot their mind playing video games as their intelligences directed. Half an hour later, they heard a pounding on the front door. Beast Boy and Cyborg paused their game, looking at each other.

Beast Boy looked characteristically confused. "Dude, was that someone knocking? No one ever knocks. No one ever even _visits_."

Cyborg was unsure. "Well someone has to go check it out. Janken?" They made fists and counted to three. Beast Boy came out with paper, Cyborg with scissors. Beast Boy got up and headed to the door.

As Beast Boy made his way to the door, the pounding repeated itself. "Hold on, hold on." He went to open the door. "What the heck do you – " He froze as the door opened, revealing the visitor. It was a dark-haired man well over six feet tall. His pupils were red, his skin pale. If Beast Boy were educated., he would have said the man exuded an aura of pure maliciousness.

The man stared at Beast Boy and seemed to fill the entire doorway. "Where is the princess? I have a message and package for her."

Beast Boy was all too glad for an excuse to get away from the door. He scampered back several steps, shouting for the others. "Guys? Starfire! Anyone? We've got a **visitor**. Get out here." _And hurry, please for the love of all that is holy._

Cyborg and Robin arrived, and seemed taken aback. Robin instantly tensed. "Who is this?" Beast Boy replied merely "He wants 'the princess'".

Starfire bounded in stopping just outside the door, asking "You require my presence?"

"Where is the princess?" the man asked tersely.

"I am she. How may I help you..." Starfire, ever hopeful, awaited his introduction.

The man's eyes narrowed, causing a sensation of dread to permeate the Titans. "I have little patience for games." He ground his teeth. "She is most definitely not Princess Raven. Now, _where is she_? I have business with her."

"This dude wants to see Raven? **RAVEN**! You have a **visitor**! Come down here and **see him**!" _Now! Please hurry! This guy is freaking me out!_

Raven appeared suddenly, looking concerned. "I felt... something. What's going on?" As soon as she saw the stranger, she moved just outside the entrance, between him and her teammates.

Starfire, ever helpful, explained "This... man wishes to speak to you, and speaks of you as Princess Raven."

The stranger fixed the Tameranean with a fierce look. "I am no _man,_" he said as if it were a foul word.

Beast Boy looked surprised "Woah! You're a girl!" He tugged on Raven's cloak, and asked, "Hey, Rae, are you really a princess?"

"No, you're confused, about a great many things" Raven answered him while directing a withering glare at the stranger.

The man examined the Titans, and asked Raven, "Pri-, ah Lady Raven, what are you doing among these day walkers?"

Beast Boy immediately jumped in, asking "Hey Rae, what's a –"

"Shut up." Raven sighed. _What did I do to deserve this?_ "Who are you, who do you serve, and what do they want?"

The man knelt before her and rose. "Pardon, the intrusion, my lady. I am a grandson of Lamech, seven generations removed from my Ancestor. I am here as a messenger for my master, the Seraph Lord Azrael."

Beast Boy added as a valuable aside, "You mean like the cat on the Smurfs?"

Robin decided to ask an intelligent question, "Aren't seraphim a type of angel?"

Raven ignored both of them. "What does my _dear _uncle want of me?"

"He has sent you a message and a gift, on his lordship your father's behalf. Lord Trigon would deliver it himself, but as you are aware is currently _indisposed_."

"You mean stuck in Limbo for eternity, where he belongs."

"Be that as it may, he has sent you this." He presented her with a red lacquered wooden box. Raven opened it, revealing what appeared to a black bracelet with bizarre red symbols or writing on it.

Raven shook her head. "This had better not be what I think it is."

Starfire looked curious. "Friend Raven, this is not the writing of the world of Azarath. What manner of writing is this?"

Robin recognized the writing. He had seen it before, also in red. On Slade's forehead and all over Raven's body.

The stranger continued, "The current ruler and lord protector, your cousin, is not ruling as well as your father would like. He would like you to assume the throne, and knows you do not wish to do so."

"Good. But why are you here with one of _those_?"

"Your father would be much relieved if he knew he had a line of heirs to succede the throne, or at the least there to be a prince consort. He wishes you to be mated as soon as possible. You may be familiar with these living mating bracelets. Place it on yourself, and then have as many compatible males place it on themselves, of their own volition. It will find a mate to suit your spirit, your power, and your darkness. The bracelet is wise. The one it chooses shall be your ideal mate, and will receive powers similar to yours, as befits a true demonic prince consort. He will be truly immortal, impervious to harm and everliving."

The others seemed surprised and looked at Raven. Raven herself was staring at the messenger, wishing to burning a hole in him with her eyes, which were glowing a dull red. "Do you want to reveal more of my secrets? After all, you've revealed far more in two minutes than I have two years."

The messenger stepped back, clearly alarmed. "No that is all. I beg forgiveness for the intrusion my lady. By your eave, I shall return to my master now. Good night." The man stepped back several paces, and a red, glowing circle with the bizarre runes around the edge formed around him. A pentagram drew itself into the circle, and the ground inside of the circle disappeared, replaced by black light which glowed mysteriously as the man sunk into the ground. When he was no longer visible, the glowing darkness ceased, leaving no visible effect upon the ground.

Cyborg shook his head. "What the hell can shine _darkness_? You can't project shadow, it's impossible!"

Starfire seemed confused. "That... man seemed quite afraid of you, Friend Raven. Why, is he evil?"

Beast Boy was still freaking out. "Dude, that guy almost made me wet my pants! I'm not answering the door ever again. Hey, are you really a princess Rae? What of?"

"I'm half _demon_. What do you think my father was ruler of, New Jersey?" She floated inside the entrance, carrying the bracelet in its box.

A/N: Well, how is it? Want more? Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

"A Different Betrothed" by Kitsune (kitsune6 on ffnet)

CHAPTER 2

Disclaimer: The doctors told me I'm not allowed to say I own Teen Titans. Something about "feeding my delusions," whatever _that_ means.

A/N: Sorry for the delay. I got sidetracked a bit by life and other fics and also wanted the story mostly done before posting anything more. I didn't want to paint myself into a corner like I did with my FY fic.

Story note: Just to clarify, this a RobxRae fic set in season four, after "Birthmark" and before the finale trilogy of "The End." Oh, and this story will probably have huge spoilers and deviations from the Titan universe, especially about Raven. Also, I don't hate Starfire or Beast Boy. They get annoying sometimes, but they're both great characters. It's just easiest to write RobxRae fanfics with a large contrast between the two "dark" members and the two "light" members. Any pain inflicted on them is for the good of the story (well, mostly).

Last chapter: One night, a strange man delivers a bracelet designed to seek out a mate for Raven (who is apparently the princess of Hell).

Raven floated into the tower, the others following. She turned to Robin. "You really need to learn to pick your fights better."

"What?"

"I know you were thinking about fighting him. Let me assure you, you would have lost. Badly."

"But it was just--"

"Just one guy? He was an ancient vampire. He was insanely powerful. He was stronger and faster than all of you put together. Unless you had crazy amounts of dark or light magic or a truckload of blessed and silver weapons, he would have torn you guys literally to pieces. Next time, when someone's glare makes you feel like food, take a hint."

Raven floated into the large common room, sat the box down on the meeting table, and glared at it. Beast Boy opened his mouth to say something, saw her expression, and wisely decided the box was the best target for her rage.

Robin spoke up. "So you're a half-demon?"

"Half greater demon. Well, nephilim is the correct term, but yeah."

And why is that box covered in weird writing and what looks like religious symbols? Is it magic to keep people out?"

"The opposite. It's to keep something _in_." Raven scowled and resumed pacing back and forth, muttering under her breath. _Maybe if I just stick it in that chest, right next to Malchior, it will be like this never happened._

**I am sorry, my lady, but that isn't the case. **Raven whipped her head around to the box. _Oh great, you're one of __**those**, aren't you?_

**If I could not reach others' minds, I could not fulfill my mission, my lady. I have been given consciousness by my creator in order to serve you best. Now, please place me about your wrist, so as I may read your soul.**

Raven seemed doubtful. _And that's it?_

**Yes, it shall be entirely passive, at least for you. For your suitors, I shall judge their souls, as well as their reactions to certain _stimuli_. I shall find you a good match, worthy of the Dark Princess.**

_Oh shut up, only my father and his stupid advisors ever called me that._ She sighed. "Fine, here goes nothing. Hopefully this will get my dear father and his new lackey off my back." Raven opened the box and reached inside, grabbing the bracelet. She slid it over her hand and onto her wrist, the others watching tensely. Suddenly, her eyes turned white. She was surrounded in a halo of purple-tinged fire that radiated darkness. Cyborg, who was a bit close, jumped back to avoid getting burned.

"Holy crap! **Fire**!" shouted Beast Boy, scooting further away. "Quick, put it out! Umm, how do we put it out?" Beast Boy looked a bit confused at the not quite fire.

"I don't think it's hurting her, Beast Boy," said Robin. "She looks fine to me."

Before anyone could come up with a plan, the bizarre flames disappeared. Robin, looking concerned, asked, "Rav, you alright? Thanks for the warning, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. It was just coldfire."

"How can fire be cold? Does it not harm you?" asked Starfire.

"Various people call it various names. Coldfire, unFire, foxfire, kitsunebi. Coldfire's a magical flame that burns cold and emits an 'unlight' like you saw. Many lesser demons and their sort are flammable, or light and heat weaken or kill them. This is the solution. It is a common element in demonic magic, just as you would expect light and flame in human magic. It's fairly harmless, and is mostly just a sign a spell is working."

Raven clapped her hands together. "Okay, let's get this over with, The sooner this whole thing is over with the sooner I can get back to my normal life." She heard something like a snicker and the word "normal" from Beast Boy's direction, but when she shot him a look he was studying the floor intently. "Okaaay, anyway, who's first?"

Cyborg reached over and grabbed the bracelet out of her hands, examining it. "Well, I'm not it." He breathed a sigh of relief.

"What? How come?" Beast Boy looked puzzled.

"This thing is _way_ too small for my wrists," he said, showing the bracelet and his enormous wrists side by side.

"May I see it?" asked Starfire, taking it from Cyborg.

Beast Boy laughed. "I don't think Raven is like that, Star." Starfire just blinked, not understanding.

"This is a most bizarre piece of jewelry. " She examined it closely from every angle.

**Put me down this instant, you simpering fool. I have no time for your mindless idiocy.**

Starfire squealed in terror, dropping the bracelet on the floor. She flew several feet backwards and into the air to get away from the offending object. "That is a _bad, bad_ thing. Stay away from it."

The others looked at her as if she were insane. Cyborg asked her, "Yo, Star, what's the problem?"

"That _thing_ spoke to me in an evil voice, and he was very rude."

"Uh Star, no it didn't," Beast Boy said.

"It probably did. It can speak telepathically, and probably took exception to Starfire's sunny attitude," Raven explained. _Not that I blame it._

Something suddenly clicked in Beast Boy's mind. _Wait, immortality means living forever. That means playing __**every** video game that ever comes out, for all time. Awesome!_ _I know Raven likes me! _"Eternal video games! Give it here!" He grabbed the bracelet off of the floor and slid it onto his wrist, the others waiting to see the verdict. (Raven: _Oh please for the love of God let it not be him_.)

Beast Boy's body went rigid, and he became consumed in coldfire. Suddenly he began screaming. "**AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH**!" His piercing, soul-rending scream echoed in the large room. It was all the Titans could hear. After several seconds, he managed to regain some consciousness and tore the bracelet off of his arm and flung it across the room, gasping for breath. He sat on the floor, hunched over and slowly rocking.

"Oh man, I think it broke Beast Boy." Cyborg went over to check on his best friend. He patted him on the shoulder.

Beast Boy seemed to come out his comatose state and looked up at Cyborg. "Cy?" Then a horrified expression crossed his face, as he seemed to recall something of the experience. He rushed to the wet bar's sink and vomited repeatedly. After a minute or so, he sank to the floor, curled up on his side into the fetal position, and sobbed hysterically. Starfire and Cyborg rushed to comfort him, and he seemed to respond somewhat. Robin whistled at the power the bracelet seemed to have, frowning as he alternated looks between Beast Boy, the bracelet lying on the floor, and Raven.

After several minutes, Beast Boy had calmed down substantially, and sat in a chair, sipping a glass of water with a haunted look in his eyes. Raven picked the bracelet up and put it back in its case. Beast Boy looked at her and asked in a shaken voice, "What the _Hell_ was that?"

"It was supposed to test your compatibility with my power and darkness. What did you see?" she asked.

"It was terrible. Cold and dark everywhere. Screaming in the distance and these _things_ were walking around. And there was a pit of the things eating people. _Live_ people. God, they were begging for the things to stop, but they wouldn't. And you could tell those things were talking to each other. What the hell was that?"

"Oh, you must mean a blood pit. It's a fun place to go every once in a while. Kind of like bowling, except instead of knocking down pins with a ball you rip people apart to drink their blood." A small but genuine smile crossed her lips. "The blood source are immortal. They'll be ready to be fed upon in a few days, even if they were ripped apart. They're being punished for disobeying the throne anyway. Too bad I never got to feed on one." She pouted. "I was too young the last time I was in the kingdom. There's _nothing_ like fresh blood." Her eyes lit up and she unconsciously ran her tongue around her lips, which completely captivated Robin's attention.

Beast Boy ran to the sink, and emptied what was left in his stomach. "Oh my God, that's _disgusting_! How is that anything _like _bowling? And I thought animal meat was bad! Those were _people_!"

"And I'm sure they were truly appreciated, and were very _tasty_." At 'tasty', Raven gave him a hungry look, similar to how he had eyed the space tofu Source covered in barbecue sauce. He scooted back, saying, "I'm feeling tired. I'm gonna go take a nap." With that, he literally ran to the far side of the room, laying down on the furthest couch.

Raven went over to the case, pick up the bracelet, and held it out to her leader. "Okay Robin, your turn." _And I hope you're it._ She had a small (or not so small if you asked a certain pink-cloaked girl in Nevermore) and growing crush on the Boy Wonder, and hoped the bracelet would choose him. If not she would have to try the Goth guy she had met a while ago, and then work her way on to some serious losers and even villains. _Oh please not Slade. But even he's better than Mammoth, Johnny Rancid or (shudder) Gizmo._ _Please let it be Robin._

She held the bracelet out for him to try on.

Robin backed up, saying, "The HELL I am. I'm not going anywhere **near** that thing."

**Hell indeed. I can sense your inner darkness. There is nothing to fear but your true nature. Show them you aren't afraid of the dark. **

Robin looked about, shouting "Shut up!"

Cyborg gave him an odd look, and Starfire asked what the problem was.

"Didn't you hear, this thing is trying to get me to go over to the dark side of the force."

"It speaks directly to your mind, not out loud," Raven explained.

The bracelet spoke to Raven's mind, **I am surprised the male is resisting, given your condition.**

Raven growled. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"What's going on?" asked Cyborg. "Clue us in."

The bracelet, which would have sighed if it were physically possible, 'spoke' to all of them. **You know the effect of your birthday has on demon spawn, do you not?**

"Yes, nothing at all this time. I just turned sixteen."

**I assure you that you are indeed over eighteen years old.**

"I'm fairly sure I know how old I am. I turned sixteen three weeks ago."

Robin, thinking, jumped into the conversation. "Hey Raven, did whatever Slade did to you have any permanent effects? I mean your hair was a _lot_ longer. And you seem a bit more... mature than before," he said, unconsciously tilting his head and examining her body closely, particularly her front. At this, Cyborg snickered, earning both of them death glares from Raven.

"My eyes are up here! So what? Say I'm eighteen. It's still no different except now I'm 'barely legal.'"

**This was your eighteenth birthday. You know what that entails.**

"Umm, no. Now I'm an adult so my father can't order me around?"

The bracelet decided to ignore her obvious fixation. **The change is upon you.**

"The change? Sounds ominous." whispered Robin to Cyborg.

"Yes, and we can all hear you, thank you. What, do I get new powers now?"

**Your strength will increase, but this pertains in particular to female demon spawn.**

Starfire had an expression that seemed as if she were going to make an incredibly embarrassing and probably incorrect comment. Therefore, Robin beat her to it. "We already learned all this in health class." He promptly ducked the series of glowing plates that flew at him, allowing them to slam into the wall and shatter into tiny pieces. Raven was muttering to herself and looked as if she was well towards her 'happy place'.

She sighed. "Not that you idiot!"

Beast Boy walked in "Hey, keep it down!" Then he drew closer, curious as to what the conversation was about so long as Robin was the target of her rage.

Then came the predictable "I do not understand."

**Upon turning eighteen, female demon spawn naturally attempt to attract a mate by entering into a lengthy and powerful period of estrus.**

"Please, what is this 'estrus'?"

Raven wanted to die as the conversation continued. _This is all a nightmare. It's not real. I will wake up. I will wake up. I will wake up._

Cyborg, the only one had medical knowledge supplied the answer. "It means heat."

"So friend Raven is very warm?"

Beast Boy had a moment of clarity, unfortunately for Raven. "She's gonna be hot for someone, that's for sure." He momentarily turned into a mouse to avoid the glasses and silverware which were hurled towards him. He leaned over and whispered something to Starfire.

"Ah! Just like with Mumbo, she is like a bunny? What is this 'humping' you speak of?"

Cyborg could no longer contain his laughter. Raven shot him a look promising nearly as much as Beast Boy was due to receive. Robin decided to intervene before he was the only surviving male Titan. "So what's that mean for Raven?"

**She will draw all receptive males towards her, and be much more receptive to them. This will grow with the passage of time. Within a matter of months she will be crazed, approaching every male she sees and judging them. All but her eventual mate she will tear to shreds.**

"Oh great. I'm going to be staying in my room at all times from now on. I don't need boys hounding me all the time." _Though it does explain some of those mental pictures I've had of the Boy Wonder._ She flushed as she recalled the creativity and vividness the heat had given her imagination.

Robin seemed confused. "How do we know if you're hot because you aged two years or if it's just the heat thing giving us one-track minds?" Everyone stared at him. "What? I didn't say that out loud, did I? Damn it."

"And exactly what track would that be, Robin?" Raven asked, glad to share the pain.

"Um, gee, look at the time. Goodnight everyone." With that, Robin quickly headed off to his bedroom.

Raven started to float off. "I'm going to bed and pretend this never happened."

"Sweet dreams!" Beast Boy called to her with a snicker as he left. He then let out a yelp as the now glowing mechanical doors crushed him for a few seconds.

"Good night friends!" called Starfire as she 'helped' Beast Boy to his room by one leg, still not understanding most of what had occurred.

"Well, that was interesting" said Cyborg to an empty room.

A/N: Chapters 3, 4, and 5 are nearly done. These share time with my Danny Phantom/Ember fic and my Naruto/Ino fic which are still being roughed out.

PLEASE review, just one or two things you think I did well and something you'd like to see improved.


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